"The dog was … gravely thin," Mummert wrote in an affidavit, saying the pet's weight dropped from 66 pounds in 2007 to 32 pounds. It had not been to a veterinarian since 2008.

Shirley L. Zoskey, 56, of George Street, and her 33-year-old son, Nicholas, face misdemeanor cruelty to animals charges and other animal-related summary counts

Cresson Township police said the pair "willfully or maliciously" neglected the dog and its health issues for an extended period of time.

Family members could not be reached for comment Tuesday. A recent telephone number for their George Street address was listed as inactive.

Mummert said township police learned about the dog after they were called about another of the Zoskey's pets, an allegedly aggressive dog, roaming the neighborhood. A Humane Society officer caught the dog and returned it to the family's home, but Mummert said they inquired about the Zoskeys' other pets because of reports of abuse.

Mummert said Shirley Zoskey initially only showed officers four dogs, but after he approached her again about "the fifth dog," she complied.

Township police, concerned about the pet's health, then contacted a county dog warden, Mummert said.